Braves added 4 to their bullpen

The Braves have made three significant additions to their roster over the last couple of weeks. The most substantial being the decision to exercise their $20 million option on Charlie Morton. The soon-to-be 40-year-old will be back for at least one more season, but the Braves also re-signed Joe Jimenez and Pierce Johnson.

These two trade-acquired pieces were vital to the Braves bullpen, especially in the closing stages. Re-signing them was crucial, and it’s a smart first step towards assembling a strong bullpen once more for the next season.

2024 Braves Bullpen Outlook

1. Raisel Iglesias
2. A.J. Minter
3. Pierce Johnson
4. Joe Jimenez
5. Tyler Matzek
6. Dylan Lee
7. Nick Anderson
8. Michael Tonkin
9. DaysbelIf everyone returns and is healthy, this Braves bullpen appears to be among the best on paper, but there are still some unanswered questions.

   In excess of a year has passed since Tyler Matzek had Tommy John surgery. Although he has a contract and is expected to be ready for spring training, nobody can be sure if he will be dependable.

   Due to a series of shoulder problems, Dylan Lee was sidelined for the majority of the 2023 season. As Kyle Wright has shown us, shoulder problems may be very erratic. It’s impossible to predict if Lee will still be a viable choice in 2024.

   Given that their combined arbitration figures should be close to $2 million, Nick Anderson and Michael Tonkin may find themselves back in the Braves bullpen. For relievers of their calibre, that’s a great deal, but like Dylan Lee, Nick Anderson’s shoulder ailment kept him sidelined for the whole of the season. He was making progress towards his comeback at the end of the season, but he is yet another arm that has just finished a season sidelined by a serious injury.

Daysbel Hernandez is a powerful arm that even made the postseason roster. He very well could be an integral piece to Atlanta’s bullpen next year, but he has no track record to speak of. Expecting him to be a shutdown reliever is wishful thinking.

We can reasonably predict that two or three of the aforementioned players will get past their shortcomings and pitch at the calibre we’ve seen from them in the past. It’s also reasonable to believe that a few of them won’t have much of an effect on the Braves’ 2024 season—and that’s before we even account for any more injuries that may arise.

It’s not necessary for Alex Anthopoulos to shell out a lot of cash for one of the best relievers available. But the Braves need to strengthen their bullpen somehow. Anthopoulos is an expert at spotting hidden treasures when no one else is. Maybe he will take that path once more, but don’t be shocked if the Braves make one more big splash in free agency to acquire a reliever ensuring this group is locked and loaded for another deep run into October.